Twins Organization Has Had Most Tommy John Operations Since 2012

[Parker Hageman]

According to a spreadsheet that Joe Roegele (@MLBPlayerAnalys) has maintained for those who have gone through ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery, the Minnesota Twins, with 12 players who have met with the knife, leads all of baseball since 2012:

 

 

Included in that list is third baseman Miguel Sano, helping catapult the Twins to the top of the list, however, pitchers like J.T. Chargois, who had a great year in short-season rookie ball after being drafted in the second round in 2012, and Alex Wimmers, the 2010 first round selection, have missed substantial development time. Part of this may be influenced by organization practices, part mechanics and part just nature of throwing overhand. 

 

The takeaway, according to Roegele's findings, is that recovery is becoming more consistent at under 15-months since the beginning of 2013:

 

 

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

 

WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

 

http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/recoveringfrommentalillness/files/2012/05/1FoamFinger-copy.jpg

[Pius Jefferson]

I don't think this changes what we already knew about the Twins having too many pitchers who need TJ surgery. 

[glunn]

I wonder if this might have something to do with drafting players who have pitching motions that put stress on their elbows or with not adequately coaching pitchers about how to put less stress on their elbows?

[Linus]

Cue up the "its our bumbling training staff" meme.

[Badsmerf]

Or they are drafting more at risk players..... The fact the Twins are closely trailed by a bunch of teams tells me they aren't that far of an outlier. For whatever reason, they have had a rough go of it in the last few years. Lets hope that changes.

[Willihammer]

Interesting read on some new technology to measure UCL stresses

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2097866-the-sleeve-that-could-save-baseball-exclusive-look-at-new-mlb-technology

 

I hadn't realized the Brewers have had no TJS's in the last 5 years.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Or they are drafting more at risk players.....

Didn't the Twins scouting director basically admit, within the last year or two, that they were just starting to closely examine the health situation of pitchers they were drafting?  (I mean, beyond the obvious "is he currently hurt" or "did he just have surgery" -- trying to gauge if/when a guy might need surgery.)

[Otwins]

Thanks for the post Willihammer. I may look in to one of those for my nephew. He is a high school pitcher

[diehardtwinsfan]

I think there are a lot of culprits:  mechanics, getting rid of long toss, usage, and in the case of 12, I'd say SSS/bad luck. 

 

That said, I also think there's a reason that the Twins were far more cautious with their pitchers this year than what I remember from the past.  This could be it.

[tobi0040]

I also think we changed our approach and made it a point to sign/draft power pitchers.